Last month I was in a popular home furnishings store and saw a parson’s table desk similar to this. It had a brushed metallic foil finish which had an intriguing textural quality that I liked. Then I pulled out the little drawer. It wobbled and stuck. I tried a different parson’s desk and had the same experience. Here was this beautiful table-desk and it didn’t work!
It’s easy to overlook the functionality of a desk when you have fallen in love with it. But if IT doesn;t work, YOU won’t work well or happy.
I have been known to walk around a furniture showroom and test every drawer, door, and panel I can find. Why?
No matter how attractive furniture may be, if it doesn’t work, it won’t help you work.
I have worked with clients who have papers strewn all over their offices. There are three reasons:
- Not enough storage
- Existing storage is overflowing. (OK, this is a variation on #1.)
- Drawer and door hardware that doesn’t work. So they are left pulling, pushing and straining on desk and file drawers to open or close them. After a while, rather than fight their furniture, they pile their papers.
If your home office furniture doesn’t have hardware – desk and file drawer suspension supports, door hinges that function smoothly and open and close completely – that works, then your home office furniture will not work.
Price is not a measure of good function. I have seen beautiful and very expensive home office furniture where they cut corners with the hardware because it didn’t show. Yet much of IKEA’s home office furniture has excellent hardware that moves smoothly and supports your file drawer or desk drawer.
Get some tips on what to look for in a home office file cabinet.
Check out The Smarter Home Office: 8 Simple Steps to Increase Your Income, Inspiration and Comfort for ideas on how to create a beautiful and functional home office.
photo by cupcakemag
